Eventually, (most) every individual will plateau in regards to their abilities and become "pack filler" effectively. I think you need to get to this point before you realize if you actually like this sport or not. Everyone has fun winning, but that only lasts for so long.
The team tactics and participation thing is big @
spectastic, especially for longevity, given that we all top out at some point with our limited time and talent. This is another reason why I look forward to Master's racing. In SoCal the masters are fit, fast, well organized and race effectively together. Even the "average joes" without national champ bands and pro-level experience find ways to use their strengths effectively and make a difference for the team. Way more than I see at the Cat 2 - 5 level.
Having said that, the participation and teamwork that happens with SDBC is also a bit of an anomaly. Were not quite as effective as the Masters racers, but that's also because were newbs (relatively) - even me with 12 years of racing experience.